The main issue with government sites is that many of them are being run by people whose idea of the Web stopped growing around 2002. There are Web basics--testing with real users, formative user research, and advanced metrics and analytics programs--that everyone in the commercial sector is doing. The government needs to get with the program or risk total irrelevance. Another hint: ease off on Twitter and Facebook. You
...more »

Submitted by Community Memberin Sep 2011

Voting

Voting on Ideas

Vote for your favorite ideas by clicking on the up arrow.To undo an upvote, simply click the arrow again. This second click removes your vote.

One thing I hate to see is agencies where the people managing the web don't have adequate teams and support, and may need training themselves but are spread so thin that they are forced to be generalists instead of specialists. The web should be staffed adequately, and employ modern technology (content management systems, anyone?), not be an afterthought in communication, PR and/or IT staffing needs.
Sure, we need
...more »

Submitted by Community Memberin Sep 2011

Voting

Voting on Ideas

Vote for your favorite ideas by clicking on the up arrow.To undo an upvote, simply click the arrow again. This second click removes your vote.

While I think creativity is important and should be preserved, there really should be more standardization and consistency for web design when sites are related or linked to each other.
Likewise, Content Management Systems (which generally effect overall design) can improve consistency from a functional standpoint.
Ideally, all government sites could have at least some common design element to establish identity -
...more »

It seems to me too much emphasis is being placed on looking pretty without actually offering an easy way to navigate to important pages or relevant content. Although a site doesn't want to look too dated can we go back to providing stuff people are looking for rather than huge, pretty graphics please?

Graphic designers should work closely with accessibility /508 experts before implementing a design into a website. Some accessibility issues can be avoided or/and fixed early during the visual design phase. For example, some of the principals that should be considered to make a design accessible are: Color contrast, use of CAPS, font size, heading structure, reading order, form controls.
A great related resource: http://webaim.org/resources/designers/#infographic
...more »

Timing is everything. Doing user research (usability testing) after the redesign is too late in the process. Find what your target audience needs by conducting user interviews early in the project. Avoid learning what you have done wrong by the time is too late to fix it.

Accessibility must be integrated into all aspects of online communication. From policy and training through design and implementation, the principle of equal access for people with disabilities must be recognized as a civil right that cannot be compromised.

One of the hardest things for agency sites is having consistent methods, and tools, for measuring web statistics and analyzing those data to make informed recommendations on improving websites and other outreach efforts.
If the government had a consistent approach to measurement and analytics for web presences (mobile, traditional, social) then we could all be working from the same page and making sure we're doing what
...more »

Receiving ongoing feedback from key stakeholder communities, in a transparent manner, could significantly improve the quality of the content. For example, more systematized, direct engagement with disabled users could help not only improve compliance but actually address the more fundamental issue of usability.
This approach could be used for other issues including Low English Proficiency/ Multilingual content and the
...more »

One frustration web managers have had from the beginning is the tug for space on the home page. Public affairs offices often want to use that "front page" for press releases and administration news, while web managers and usability experts know customers expect to find and start using top tasks on the home page. Maybe the answer is to give public affairs offices - and customers - one source for agency news. Create
...more »

Make it easy for users to access information regardless of which channel they use (web, chat, email, phone, smart phone apps, social media, etc.), and provide analytics that work across channels, keep track of what a user has already done, and find customized/personalized ways of providing excellence in customer service and presenting information.

Many agencies and organizations provide information to multilingual / multicultural audiences by translating content that was developed in English without really understanding the needs of these audiences.
I believe it's important to do your audience research and make sure you understand what information is needed first and then make the decisions as to how it will be provided, i.e., original content, transcreation,
...more »

Search

Campaigns

Here in the sidebar is the list of current campaigns.
Campaigns are used to group ideas around topics, processes or desired outcomes. Once you're done with this tour, a great way to start exploring is to check out the campaigns.

What can we do to improve access to government information and services beyond websites? For example, mobile, APIs, and other channels. [Before posting, you may want to see recent dialogue on Making MobileGov

What can we do to improve how we use data, apps, APIs and similar technology to improve how we deliver information and services on federal websites? [Before posting you may want to see recent dialogue on Evolving Data]